Vehicle structure



April 27 1926. 1,582,569

H. J. BARNHAR-r VEHICLE sTUcTURE Filed May 12. 1921 H92 l l i @7% @www nBY I @QM/ -ATTORNEX 2 Shee'cS-Shee?l 1 1 Patented Apr."y 27,1925.

ia 't issie @insalata HARRY J'. Banni-telnr; .or Manton, solaio,Assignee To THE QSGQOQGOMBAN 10F neitroiaonraa coRroRA'rIoNjoF 01110. vY

VEHICLE' STRUCTURE.

Application filed May 12,

To allwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. `BAnNHARr7 a citizen ofthe United States ofAmerica, residing at Marion, in the county of 'Marion and State of Ghio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Structures,of which the following is. a specification.

My invention relates to vehicle structure and is particularly directedto the provision of a novel and vsimple apparatus designed to varyv ormaintain the line of travel of a vehicle. It aims to provide a'mechanismthat has a minimum number of 'partsf and that 'can be placed inoperative position or removed therefromv with ,great facility.-

It is old t0 utilize the swinging ofthe superstructure to 'effectsteering cfa vehicle and it isold to steer manually. .v But I have f4provided .a device that accomplishes this and yet is free fromundesirable strains, is free from undue complication and may be' vplacedin 'operation bythe operator without descending from tlievehicle.

lMy invention .resides pri `vision yof a Steeringbarthat 1s connected.to the superstructure off'thevehiele and to a .relatively heavyelementwhich f forms a continuation of thepivot postand which embracesthe axle so that movement of such .elementabout the pivot post axis willresult in movement 'of lthe axle t0 effect steering.

This element to which the steering bar is connectedV is of generalU-form,'the pivot post forming one leg and the. other leg being formedby the sleeve which contains one jack-screw. It is of such form that itis possible to connect the pull andthrust bar at a point between thetruck and one wheel Aso that a straight bar can be used and at such aheight that the pull or thrust barwillv` be practically level when Vinoperative 'p0- sition. l have also providedja means whereby the F'swiveled axle of the vehicle may be locked f in any one of severalpositions whereby it will be possible to 'maintain a straight line oftravel for short distances orajcrved line of travel when desired;v

My device lends vitself with great; readiness to the revolving types of`power shovels lembodying leveling jack screws which lmay" serve meansof ceinectiii between my marily in the prio- 1921. "serial No. 468,851..

member. This jack screw is 'desiifably expull and thrust bar and my axleleml1"-1Jilg i i tended up from my axle embracing'rneinher so as toforma receiving 'rod or pin for an apertured Iend of my pull andithrustbar. 'l The result of this construction isffthat'the operator vofthepower :shovel 1n`aydr0p---the pull vand thrust'bar -into operativeposition' without leaving lhis 'cab merely by u'sihfgffa hook-like rod.

'Theprefe'rred e'nibodimentof my'inven-V 'tion' involves other featuresof advantage ignate corresponding partsand wherei'ne- Fig.' .`ly :is asectional .plan View rsliowing the swiveled axle structure -and' thev'steer-ing 'device applied thereto.

shown in iF igure l.

Fig. y3 kis a fside yelevation showing the steering `mechainisin andjack structure in detail. A Y i Fig. '4 V11's a'perspective viewofthezcenter pivot steering Yelement wh-ich'-" ernbraces.ftheV axle.

In the vc lrawingsgvl have not yattempted'fio show the structure'of myshjovel in detailbut have-merfely'illustratedf'thefsuper# v 'iVstructure'thereof Sina more or less.fdifa'gra'.m- I

per surface thereof. may be generally designated? and is Iro-v tatableabout this gearl by -means'of a pifnv.io-n.8, in ainann'er-"that willvbe readily understood since it is more or less comer-ren inthe art; Y' ff e5 j `and isshown in the laccompaifi'ying drawings wherein similar'characters .of reference' dies-` F ig. 2 is a-front elevfatitm*ofthestructure The 4front axlek 2 of lmy steam shovel structure ifs semountedthat substantially.

one-halfvthereof 'fits -iwithin [channeled member'9 whose outerendcarries'ia'threadthreaded as at I2 operateslin this apei'jlturedvportion 10, withv its flower-end hearing `upon vthe axle f2. 'This jack"screw 1l lhasnan 'the 'jack screwii. .By rotating screw 2. Lacasse jpendently in Figure L1. This U-shaped axle embracing member is providedwith a base 15 having'a substantially U-shaped channel 16 in its lowerend within which is designed to'it the other halt of the axle 2, thechanneled structure being preferably pivoted to the axle by means of thebolt 17.

This U-shaped member is preferably provided on its inner end with anupstanding post 18 that passes through the trucl: 1 and serves asaswivel post for the trent axle structure; This upstanding post ispgejerably made integral with the channeled structure 15. At its outerend,V this channeled structure 15 is provided-with an Vupstandingsleeveflike member 19 having a bearing 20 for the jack screw.l The intermediate portion ot this sleeve-like i'neu'iber is out away as at 22 andadjacent its lower end it is provided with a. threaded bear ing 23within which `cooperatively tit the threads 24 ot the jack screw 25.This j aci; v

screw 25 bears at its lower end-in a socket 26 carried by the axle 2 andis provided at.

its upper end with an aperture 27 through which a bar may be passed forrotation ot the jack screw. The rotation of this jack screw will serveto compensate 'for wthe space between the axle and the base ot' theehannel of the channeled member 15 under vary ing conditions.

An important aspect of my invention `arises from the fact that I utilizethe. j acl*- 'Y pin 25 and the U-shaped member shown in VFigure 4L tofacilitate steering of the steam shovel structure which is accomplishedby the provision of a straight thrust bar 2S having a loop 29 at itsrear end, which loop 30. This staple member 30 extends into a lateralprojection 31 of a bracket'y 32 which is bolted to the superstructuresubstantially opposite the axis ot rotation of the swiveledsuperstructure 7. The opposite end oft theV4 pull or thrust bar 28V isenlarged as atll and apertured as at 311. This pull or thrust I bar isstraight, which is made possible by the location of the point ofconnection to the superstructure and to the jack screwV and it is alsosubstantially horizontal while in operative position. This gives adirect thrust requiring a minimum expenditure of energy and with nolikelihood of bending the bar and avoidsup and down movement of the end33 which obviates theneces-- sity of universal joints. bar may beremoved `from the pin, as shown inFigure 3, by the operator in thesuper-V Y of bending of this thrust. bar.

is retained within the staple member- Furthermore, the

tive position7 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, it may be retainedin such posi? tion bya hook-like support 36 carried upon thesuperstructure 7. l

A means is provided for locking the center axle structure in anyadjusted position. It preferably comprises a plurality ot sockets 3Tyarranged upon an arc in the upper face ot' the base member Forcooperation with these sockets, 1 have provided an aperture 38 in thebody et the truck which may be caused to align with either one of thesockets 37V by Vthe Vadjustment of the swiveled axle. Adjustment n'iaybereadily attained through the pull and thrust bar25a.

llfl'ien this alinement is attained, the pin 39 may be dropped into theopening 38 and will be rigidly locked toV the truck body.

It will be seen from this that I have pro--k vided a pull and thrust barfor steering my steam shovel structure and that this steering mechanismis of extreme simplicity.v It makes possible the obtaining of a directthrust in a substantially horizontal plane. v1t eliminates alljdanger ofinterference of the thrust bear with the wheels and all danger Itfurther makes possible the ready placing :of the thrust bar intooperative position or the re-` Vmoval therefrom by the operator in thevcab of my steam shovel structure and without the necessity ot descent ofsuch operator from the cab. e

In addition7 maintenance of theV level of the corners of the truck is inno sense interfered with. On the contrary, the very means utilized forthis purpose is further utilized to Yform an ideal means ot connectionbetween the thrust bar and the axle embracing member.

U-shaped .member utilized affords ample rigidity and it is also welladapted to the provision of a novel form ot locking device that I haveprovided in connection with my invention. j j. y l Y Having thusdescribed .my invention, what I claim is: f

1. A truck7 a swiveled axle for said truck, wheels on said swiveledaxle, a swiveled superstructure, an axle embracing member,V aV

ill)

The structure ot the Y,

hold said thrust and pull bar in ils un.- coupled position during theuncoupled perlod.

2. A truck, a swiveled axle for said truck,

wheels on said axle, a swiveled superstructure, a pull and thrust barconnected to said superstructure and a jack screw tor adjusting the axlewith relation to suj'ierposedY parts and for serving as a connectionbetween said pull and thrust bar and said axle.

3. A truck, a swiveled axle for said truck, Wheels on said axle, aswiveled superstructure, a pull and thrust bar connected to saidsuperstructure, and a U-shaped member einbracing the axle, one legthereof forming the pivot for said axle, and the other leg thereofforming a part ot a connection between said pull and thrust bar and saidaxle.

4L. A truck, a swiveled axle structure for said truck, Wheels on. saidaxle structure, a swiveled superstructure, a removably applicable pulland thrust bar ior connecting said axle structure to said swiveledsuperstructure, a plurality 0i sockets in said axle Y to the body of thetruckin different positions of adjustment. Y j

5. A truck, a swiveled axle member for said truck, a jack screw foradjusting the axle with lrelation to said truck, and means operablethrough said jack screw for Varying the position of saidv axle member toeflect steering of the truck. e

G. A truck comprising a base, air-axle embracing member, a swiveledsuperstructure, means for adjusting said embracing member and a steeringrod connecting said super#A structure to said axle embracing member.

7. In a machine ot' the character described, a base, a swiveled axle forsaid base, Wheels for said axle, a swiveled superstructure, means foradjusting the level of said base and means-connecting said su )erstruceyture and said leveling means for steering j said Wheels.

signature.

i HARRY J. BARNHART.

